The Aftermath
by TheHonPhryneFisher
Summary: This is a two-part extension to the episode "Blood at the Wheel", and it's my take on what happened after the episode finished, and Phryne & Jack went their separate ways. Reviews are greatly appreciated :) PS- I do not own Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries or any of the characters and storylines, my writing is purely for the enjoyment of myself and others who choose to read it :)
1. Chapter 1- Phryne

CHAPTER 1: PHRYNE

Phryne Fisher sat in the armchair, staring at the glass of whiskey in front of her. She didn't want to touch it, not now. Just minutes earlier Jack had walked out on her, effectively ending their association, both personally and professionally, it seemed.

She sighed. It wasn't her fault that Jack had heard the message incorrectly. But she somehow felt that she had something to do with it. She could feel tears pricking the corner of her eyes. How would she cope without her Jack? They needed each other, didn't they? That's what she thought, anyway. Her earlier statement was right- it would feel like he was lying in that wreckage if he walked out on her. And that's exactly what he had done.

The tears began to flow, and she broke down. She could vividly remember the last time that she cried like this- it was that day with Janey. Jack was there then, to hold her hand, to get her through that difficult time. But now he had gone. Phryne Fisher was on her own. And she didn't know what to do.

Phryne didn't realise that Dot had made her way into the parlour and stopped, frozen, in the doorway. She had not seen Miss Fisher like this for a long time, not since Janey. Dot knew that Jack had misheard the message- Hugh had told her. But she didn't expect to see Phryne Fisher sobbing in an armchair, and Jack not with her. She never looked like this. She looked strong, feisty, heroic even. Especially when armed with that pearl-handled pistol of hers. At this moment she looked vulnerable and distraught.

Dot moved closer and put a comforting hand on Phryne's shoulder. Phryne looked up. "Oh Dot…. I didn't realise you were there…. I'll just... umm… go to bed I think…" she managed to say whilst wiping her eyes.

"I heard about the misheard message, it's okay Miss, you'll get through this, you always do"

"I know… but… Jack…." Just saying his name made Phryne cry even more. Dot reached forward and grabbed Phryne in an embrace "oh Miss Fisher, I'm so sorry. Here, have some tea, Mr Butler has prepared some for us"

"Thank you Dot… that would be lovely…" Phryne replied, wiping her eyes and sitting up straight.

Mr Butler walked into the room carrying a tray with a teapot and two cups and saucers. He poured out some tea for Phryne and Dot, and looked sympathetically at Phryne "hopefully this will make you feel better, Miss Fisher. There's some biscuits there too if you would like them"

"Thank you Mr Butler, that's so kind of you" Phryne replied, smiling for the first time in about half an hour. Mr Butler smiled back at Phryne, and walked out of the room, leaving Dot alone with her.

They had their tea and biscuits in silence before Phryne spoke again.

"Dot, what do I do? I just don't know what to do without him. I mean, he needs me and I need him, what happens now?"

"I know Miss, he'll soon realise what you mean to him, and what he means to you. He'll eventually find out that he can't solve an investigation without you soon enough. You might want to get some rest Miss, it's late" Dot replied sympathetically.

"Oh well, I suppose you're right Dot, thank you so very much. I'm off to bed, so goodnight. See you in the morning" Phryne said, wiping her eyes once again.

Once Phryne was lying in her bed, she began to cry once again. She looked up, and whispered "Oh Jack, why? What am I going to do without you?" She thought of a life without Jack, one she couldn't bear to live in. She curled up in bed and buried her head in the sheets. She eventually fell asleep, tears soaking her pillow.


	2. Chapter 2- Jack

CHAPTER 2: JACK

Jack opened the front door to his house after returning from Miss Fisher's residence. He flopped down on the couch, and began to think about what he had just done _"Phryne will be distraught…"_ he thought to himself _"but I suppose it's for the best… I can't bear to go through that pain again. Plus, Dorothy will look after her" _

He poured himself a whiskey and stared at it. Usually at this time, both of them would be standing in her parlour, drinks in hand, and indulging together after solving a case. Not tonight. That was all over.

He downed his whiskey and stared at the empty glass. He thought once more back to when he gave Phryne up. The look on her face said it all- she would miss him terribly. And so would he- but things got too complicated. He had an inkling that Miss Fisher saw him as more than a friend, and to be honest, he saw her in the same way, but he would never admit it to anyone. He knew that they couldn't complete an investigation without each other. But despite all this, he gave her up.

The feelings that Jack felt when he found out about the car crash were unbearable. He couldn't bear to live his life without Phryne in it. But he would have to now. He had given her up.

Jack realised that his eyes were welling up once more. He silently cursed himself for shedding more tears- there had been enough of that at the station after he received the message from Hugh. And he had cried after Phryne had caught him drowning his sorrows at the station alone- he had tried very hard not to cry in front of her at that point. But as he rushed to the car that night, he couldn't hold it back anymore.

There was a knock at the door. Jack managed to remove himself from the recap of events that was playing out in his mind and answered the door. It was Hugh. Jack was surprised at this "Collins… what are you doing here?"

Hugh looked somewhat shocked "umm… I know it's late but I'll be quick. I heard about what you said to Miss Fisher, Inspector… Dot telephoned me. She isn't in a very good state right now"

Jack couldn't help feeling somewhat concerned "I suspected as much, but she has Miss Williams to look after her, doesn't she?"

"Yes… I suppose she does… but the person she really needs isn't there"

"And who might that be, Collins?"

"Isn't it obvious Inspector? She needs you…" Hugh replied, suddenly feeling embarrassed- he was talking about the love life of his boss, after all.

Jack folded his arms. "Collins, now isn't the time to bring up such details. We both know how the misunderstanding hurt us, especially Miss Fisher and myself. It will take some time to get over. While this happens we need to keep our distance, hence the decision I made earlier. I know that Phryne won't be happy with it, and neither am I, but this is something that needs to happen. I have no choice, Collins…"

Hugh looked up at Jack- he saw tears running down his cheeks. He thought it was best to leave at this point and looked down at his feet. "Oh… okay then Inspector, I just wanted to let you know, that's all. Well, I'd better let you get some rest then… it's been an eventful day… so see you in the morning Inspector. I just hope you're doing the right thing"

Jack wiped the tears from his face, hoping that Hugh hadn't seen them "Goodnight Collins, see you in the morning" he managed to choke out. He closed the front door, and Hugh's last words resonated with him _"I just hope you're doing the right thing". _Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. He was too tired and sad to think clearly.

He didn't want to give Phryne up. But he felt like he had no choice. The message had hurt him. A lot. But he had just hurt her. But he couldn't go back. He didn't want to feel that pain again.

Jack sighed to himself, and walked into the bedroom and lay down on the bed. "I'm so sorry Phryne, but I can't, I can't do it anymore. It hurts too much…" he whispered to himself and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
